Let me say it again: good communication requires repetition.
The hiring process has a lot of moving pieces. Clear communication is the grease that enables an efficient hiring process to run like a well-oiled machine. Without it, the system bogs down resulting in frustration and bad decisions based on misinformation. How well you communicate is a reflection on your culture and company’s values. Bad communication will contribute to a negative reputation and the inability to hire top talent for your positions. When you’re a tech startup ready to scale, these are setbacks that you can’t afford.
During the hiring process, there’s no such thing as over-communicating. This includes all team members involved in the hiring process and all applicants.
Within your company:
Before reaching out to your team members that will facilitate the hiring, make sure you’ve streamlined your hiring process.
Let me back up: make sure you have a hiring process. Recruitment is the last place you want to wing it. This is a reality that many tech startup leaders have trouble grasping. Making-it-up-as-you-go swagger isn’t endearing when you’re attracting top talent to your company. It imposes on everybody involved because it assumes that people are willing (and able) to read the mind of the leader, which is the opposite of clear communication. Creating a solid process prioritizes the needs of the people involved. One of their biggest needs is open communication.
Especially if you’re a tech startup, the hiring process is a critical step in building your brand because it’s the first introduction your future team members will have to your new company. It’s impossible to leave a good impression without a thoughtfully implemented system that’s clearly communicated.
The first step is to identify who is involved in the hiring process. They need to know what their role is, and how their role fits into the whole process to avoid missing steps and doubling up on the same task.
Who is communicating with the candidates? What’s the best method to reach them in a timely manner? How are your team members communicating with each other? It’s important to keep everybody in the loop. This doesn’t mean that every member needs to be involved equally at each step.
Pass the information along promptly. This includes positive feedback. And make a point to let your people know where they’re doing a great job. Encouragement communicates that you care about your team members- who are acting as a spokesperson for your company during the hiring process.
For Candidates:
Communication will make or break a candidate’s experience with your company during the hiring process. In a recent survey, 75% of candidates said that positive candidate experience was a determining factor in their decision to accept a job. Keeping candidates in the loop is common sense, but it’s not going to happen without intentionality.
All candidates deserve timely feedback to their questions. Identify one person on the hiring team to be a personal contact with whom the candidates can direct their questions. And make sure they know who that person is. Make a point to respond to all inquiries within 24 hours.
Check-in with the candidates personally. Acknowledge receipt of materials. Outline the steps and timeline of your hiring process to set expectations. Let each candidate know what will be talked about at each step. What questions will you ask during the interview? What skills will you assess? How long will it take? Set each candidate up for success. Regardless of whether they’re offered a role, you want it their hiring process to be positive.
For the candidates you’re interested in, keep them warm by reaching out periodically. Do they have any questions? What are they looking for in their next position? Build rapport between steps in the process. A recent Fast Company study of talent acquisition leaders in the U.S. found almost half (46%) of those surveyed said cultivating meaningful candidate relationships is their number one priority for the next year.
Good communication includes being clear in all written information. Job descriptions need to deliberately outline the responsibilities of the role and the must-have qualifications. How does the role contribute to the company’s mission?
Candidates are going to study your online presence to better understand your company. Are your mission/vision/values clear on your website? What problem are you solving? What does your social media communicate about your brand? How are your reviews on sites like Glassdoor? Addressing these platforms is critical, if you’re going to communicate the message you intend to your candidates.
Nitin Nohria, Dean of Harvard Business School, put it this way: “Communication is the real work of leadership.” It’s not something that you delegate. It’s something that you model. It infuses your culture, and this starts in the hiring process. The right people will respond to the right message when it’s clearly stated and understood.
